I recently received an email from artist Hans Engel, who had an unfortunate experience with a gallery. Engel's work had been on display at Gallery O in Vancouver, whose director was Sergio Patrich. A sudden closure of the gallery left him with uncollected paintings, and money from sold paintings.

Straight.com covers the story here, and a blog has been setup to track the issue.

This is a strong reminder to artists: research galleries and their staff before you sign with them, and ensure you have relevant clauses in your contract to cover your work and income incase of the gallery's closure.

Search engines and online artist communities are great places to do some basic research on a gallery (especially when you are considering working with an out-of-town gallery). Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you consult a lawyer to ensure your interests are covered in your contract with the gallery. CARFAC Ontario has a publication providing model contracts/agreements for use by Canadian artists, and also provides a free legal clinic to members. Your local artist groups and arts councils should also be able to put you in contact with business resources.

Don't let this happen to you!